Archive for July 2010

You cannot make this “stuff” up….

July 11, 2010

Dwayne Wade apparently signed a six year $107 million contract, while his friends James and Bosh signed six years for $111 million. By NBA rules, however, they could have signed for up to $125 million.

Said Wade, and I am NOT making this up “It’s about sacrifice now.”


James along with his friends have done the impossible. First Lebron may have taken Kobe Bryant’s spot as the most hated basketball player outside his home town. Second, can anyone remember a national sports story in July about super-egos and the rich getting richer in sports…and the Yankees aren’t even involved?

Even A-Rod has got to be watching this PR fiasco and musing “What are these guys THINKING?”

In the meantime, in California, somehow billionaire Meg Whitman is managing to criticize Jerry Brown for his “nearly $2 million mansion.”

(in Atherton, where Whitman’s main home is, $2 million MIGHT buy a garage. Though it’s possible her vacation home in Telluride might be closer to that price range.)

Hard to believe that after today the World Cup will finally be over. So Americans who have become fans of flops will just have to wait for NBC’s fall lineup.


Apparently “The Decision” had higher television ratings than the Lebron James’ last playoff game with the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Celtics. Makes sense, during the ESPN special, Lebron actually seemed like he wanted to be there.


Just rewatched “Top Gun.” Who says gay stars can’t portray heterosexual chemistry?


Paul McCartney played A T and T Park tonight, home of the SF Giants. a nearly three hour show. Normally when there’s that many hits at the Park, the Giants bullpen is involved.


Things are a little different these days for the 68 year old former Beatle. Now it’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” that I actually remembered all these lyrics.


And unlike the last time he was in San Francisco (with the Beatles in 1965), women didn’t seem to be throwing panties at him. Of course, it’s hard to get good accuracy and distance with Depends.


McCartney performed “My Love,” a song he said he wrote for Linda. There was nothing in honor of Heather Mills, though apparently Sir Paul is thinking of asking Elton John for the rights to “The Bitch is Back.”


There’s a new biography of Sarah Palin written for 8-12 year old readers. “That’s great, I’ve always wanted to know more about her,” said George W. Bush.

After the decision…any other sporting events on this weekend?

July 10, 2010

Regarding ESPN’s “the Decision,” Lebron James may have set a record – for the most damage a public figure could do to his reputation in an hour while still keeping his pants on.

Many in the media are saying that by broadcasting “The Decision,” ESPN lost their reputation for integrity. I disagree. That reputation was gone a long time ago.


Lebron should be a little careful with his pals in the party atmosphere of South Beach. Otherwise, following in Kobe’s footsteps, the next ring he gets may be for his wife.


Paul the Octopus has become famous for, so far, successfully predicting the winners of World Cup matches. And he has picked Spain to win it all. While some question the octopus’s ability, to be fair it’s probably true that Paul has paid more attention to the World Cup so far than most Americans.


Two players from the University of Tennessee were charged, and others may be facing charges, after a serious bar brawl.. And an off-duty police officer who tried to break up the fight was knocked unconscious.

Who said that by jumping to USC so quickly Lane Kiffin wouldn’t be around long enough to leave a legacy?


She doesn’t HAVE to go on department…

Celine Dion has announced she is expecting twin boys in November. From all over the world good wishes are pouring in, many of them suggesting “take some time off from singing after the boys are born…at least until they are ready for college.”


Eight strikeouts for Stephen Strasburg Friday night in six innings. But will there be an asterisk? He was pitching against the San Francisco Giants.

Kudos to the Texas Rangers. Their “agreement in principle” with the New York Yankees for Cliff Lee ended up with New York making them a low-ball “take-it-or-leave-it” offer. And the Rangers basically gave the Yankees the same message Lindsay Lohan wore into court on her fingernail.

Joe Biden finally made it to the Tonight Show. The Vice President apparently would have appeared on the show sooner, but it took a while for Leno to explain that they only had 60 minutes.


You know, Biden has said a lot of stupid things in the last couple years. But he really hasn’t matched – “Sure, I’ll leave the Tonight show and do a five day a week 10pm slot.”


Nevada senate candidate Sharron Angle is blasting Harry Reid over the state’s 14 percent unemployment rate. Now, Angle herself has said she believes alcohol should be illegal. Well, what harm could that do to employment in Nevada…?

Move over Los Angeles…

July 9, 2010

So “King James” is going to Miami, where he will end up with his friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. After this ego-driven free-agency madness, forget hating the Lakers, the rest of America may just decide they can’t stand the Heat.


And back in Cleveland, suffice it to say that the only King Cavs fans want to compare Lebron to is Charles 1 of England.*


Fans in Cleveland, who once adored Lebron, have turned in a hurry. It’s not just that he left, but that he did it in such a narcissistic, over-the-top, public way. So many fans are publicly burning his old jerseys.

Guess we can call them, “Lebron fires,” or more aptly “Lebronfires from his Vanities.”

All over America, women watched their husbands and partners riveted to the Lebron show and saying “Don’t you dare ever call ‘the Bachelor’ or ‘Bachelorette’ insipid again.


Although in the past week, both a previous “Bachelor” couple (Jake and Vienna), and a Bachelorette couple (Jillian and Ed), have had well-publicized breakups. Just wondering, how lovey-dovey will James and Heat fans be if they don’t win a championship fast?


Not sure when the Miami Heat come to Cleveland next season, but no doubt Cavs fans will be looking for the number of Lindsay Lohan’s manicurist.


Everyone in Miami may not be thrilled about Lebron’s choice. For example, he just gave sports fans in the town yet more reasons in the spring not to go to Marlins games.


And btw, Lebron, you said you were taking your talents to South Beach? American Airlines Arena, where the Heat play, is in the city of Miami proper, about a 15 minute driver from South Beach. The main sport in South Beach is partying…. Hmm, never mind.

It was announced today that USC would be ineligible to be ranked in this year’s USA Today’s football coaches’ poll. But, the Trojans just hired coach Lane Kiffin -there wasn’t a snowball’s chance they would be ranked anyhow.


Larry King and his seventh wife Shawn have called off divorce proceedings. It was the 76 year old talk-show host who originally filed for divorce back in April. One of two things have happened. Either the two have reconciled, or Larry forgot why he filed in the first place.

*Asterisk to above joke, Charles 1 was beheaded after being convicted of treason by Parliament.

And for those hard core history and sports types, (yeah, both of us. ) How mad at the King are Cleveland fans? Many of them want to change their name to the Cleveland Roundheads.

And the hype goes on…

July 8, 2010

Spain-Germany. 90 minutes with one goal scored. And millions of Americans who complained that wasn’t enough action to justify watching the match will nonetheless turn into tomorrow’s 60 minute Lebron decision show.


Lebron James denies that all of the hype about his free-agency choice is all about his ego and need for attention. In fact, after his 60 minute show which airs today on ESPN, he plans to do a followup show explaining how he came to the decision.


The funny thing, Americans are paying more attention to all this free agent hype than they do to the NBA regular season. And to be fair, as far as next year’s playoffs, all this free agent hype might be more relevant than the regular season.



from reader T.C. in Canada – If LeBron wants to play on a half decent team that never loses, he’ll sign with the Globetrotters.


Although for all those who think that America must lead the world in caring about meaningless celebrity hype…. I give you the three most viewed stories today from England’s “Guardian” newspaper. Numbers one and two, the two World Cup semifinals. Story number three – Lindsay Lohan going to jail.

(and George Michael, who crashed his car again, has to be thinking, what am I, chopped liver?)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the NBA tracks. Ekpe Udoh, the Golden State Warriors’ No. 1 draft pick, is already going to miss the NBA Summer League after injuring his wrist in practice. Well, on the bright side, Warriors fans don’t have to hold their breath anymore wondering what was going to go wrong THIS time.


So far, the Bulls have signed Carlos Boozer, the Thunder have re-signed Kevin Durant, and the Heat have signed Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Meanwhile the Clippers have signed a new hot-dog vendor.


So Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal just signed a bill that allows people to bring guns into church. Well, one phrase that may not be heard anymore in the state – “If this sermon goes on much longer, just shoot me.”

So Meg Whitman is now running ads in Spanish saying she is opposed to Prop 187 and the new Arizona immigration law. I’m confused. Is she running against Jerry Brown, or the candidate she was in the Republican primary?


Joe Biden is coming to California to fundraise for Barbara Boxer. And over at Carly Fiorina’s headquarters, staffers are working overtime to make sure they keep their candidate away from a microphone when she sees HIS hair.

Decisions, decisions…

July 7, 2010

Americans say they can’t get into soccer because it’s a ton of hype, but then a seemingly endless process, with nothing happening until the very end. In the meantime, we remain riveted to the LeBron James decision saga.

Lebron James apparently will announce his decision about next year in an ESPN one-hour special. Not to be outdone, Brett Favre says he will announce HIS decision about next year in an ESPN mini-series.


After being caught with codeine cough syrup, JaMarcus Russell was charged with possession of a controlled substance. This might be the first time the words “JaMarcus” and “controlled” have been used in the same sentence.


From Bill Littlejohn: “JaMarcus Russell has been arrested and charged with possession of codeine.He had been working on his tendency to cough up the football”

Three reasons Amare Stoudemire signed with the Knicks: 1. $100 million dollars. 2. The chance to live in New York. 3. None of that stressful playoff pressure.


A fan at Yankee Stadium was hit in the face by a ball while talking on his cellphone. “That’s really awful” said absolutely no one.


Actually, what do you call a baseball fan hit in the face during a game because he is talking on his cellphone? A good start.

Who says politicians never utter a true statement? This was Barbara Boxer today talking about Carly Fiorina’s comment about her hair – “You know, if everybody in this state male or female who’s ever had a bad hair day votes for me, I will win in a landslide.”


In San Francisco, a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom means that you can’t buy sugary sodas or sports drinks from vending machines on city property. Only drinks like milk (regular and soy), unsweetened juices, water and a limited number of diet drinks are allowed.

I would say the city has become a “Nanny state,” but didn’t Mary Poppins suggest taking medicine with a “spoonful of sugar?”

Lindsay Lohan was quoted as saying before her court hearing for a parole violation that her lawyer “will just fix this like everything else.” She was sentenced to 90 days in jail. Sounds like Lindsay’s judgment about her lawyer is as good as her judgment about everything else.

Due to the economic situation, Walt Disney World is extending discounts on their travel packages. So this fall a vacation in the theme parks will likely only cost guest an arm but not a leg.

All-Stars and Falling Stars

July 6, 2010

Although many in baseball thought Vladimir Guerrero was done last year, he signed with the Texas Rangers and now leads the majors with 70 RBI. But we should have known he had some good years left – the San Francisco Giants didn’t offer him a contract.


The SF Giants have announced “Girl Scout” night at A T and T park July 15, with a necklace giveaway, and some donations from purchased tickets. After a brief pre-game ceremony, however, Girl Scouts will not be allowed on the field. Management is afraid they might beat the Giants.

Jamarcus Russell was arrested today on drug possession charges. Hard to believe the strong-armed quarterback was once thought of as potentially the next John Elway. Instead, he’s turned out to be the next Ryan Leaf.


Is this a sign? Codeine is legal without a prescription in Canada. The only question, is any CFL team desperate enough to take a chance on JaMarcus Russell?


Larry Ellison might buy the woeful Golden State Warriors. Which means he finally might have found a bigger waste of money than the America’s Cup.


The Queen of England was in Canada today and after touring the offices of “Research in Motion,” was given a free Blackberry. Apparently John McCain over the years has been offered some free blackberries, but he turned the offers down because he wasn’t sure they weren’t picked by illegal immigrants.

Thank you Bud Selig. The All-Star game now determines home field advantage in the World Series, and the fans have selected an NL starting catcher who is hitting .229. (Yadier Molina.) Makes sense to me.

Now that the U.S. has zero chance of winning the World Cup, American sports fans are using that as an excuse for not being interested in the last stages of the competiton. Big deal, Canadian sports fan respond, we still watch the finals of the Stanley Cup. (Note to non-hockey fans, a Canadian team hasn’t won the NHL championship since 1993)

Men might want to stop reading now…

On the Bachelorette Monday night, former Bachelor (and Dancing with the Stars contestant) Jake and his ex-fiance Vienna, returned. It was a special interview segment to discuss their break-up after competing tabloid stories.

Personally, the more I watch these two together the more I think they absolutely deserve each other. But at least they didn’t breed.


And the latest vampire movie, Eclipse, will apparently gross almost $200 million in its first week. Which could be great for the movie industry, less great for retail. Because it means there were no teenage girls left with free time to shop in the malls.

Happy Fifth of July

July 4, 2010

The Fourth of July is former President George W. Bush’s favorite holiday because it’s always celebrated on the same day every year. Wait a minute, this year the actual holiday is on the 5th? Darn, this is so confusing…


Although while it may seem odd for Americans to celebrate the Fourth on the Fifth, it’s certainly been a tradition for Americans to celebrate the Fourth with a Fifth.

California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is getting annoyed at being referred to as “Queen Meg,” which she says is insulting and sexist. Besides, she prefers “Czar.”

What do the Giants’ Aaron Rowand (hitting .240) and Kobe Bryant’s wife’s ring have in common? Both represent mega-million dollar mistakes.


Well, the U.S. may be out of the World Cup, but at least we have defended our supremacy in our true national sport – competitive eating.


But hey, not only did Joey Chestnut win the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest, but a professional rival and former winner, Takeru Koboyashi, got himself arrested, partly due to a contract dispute,. Controversy and arrests, now we’re beginning to look like a major league sport.

Since Sunday was July 4, it was time for writers to opine again that the Star Spangled Banner shouldn’t be our national anthem since the lyrics, “bombs bursting in air” etc, come from a British poem set to an old drinking song. Actually, aren’t fireworks and drinking two of our favorite national pastimes?


The Boston Red Sox will be placing starter Clay Buckholz on the disabled list, making him the ninth player on their current major league roster currently on the DL. Yet, surprisingly, the Sox have been gaining ground on the Yankees. Who knows, if Boston ends up with All-Stars Jon Lester or David Ortiz on the DL they could win this thing.

Just a thought, how come unattended bags can so easily cause bomb scares. Which result in all kinds of airline attention and police action, but it never seems to happen to lost bags that endlessly circle baggage claim, or sit unclaimed, for hours. Especially yours.


The Cincinnati Reds hit seven home runs against the Chicago Cubs Sunday in one game. To put that in perspective, the SF Giants hit nine home in the last nine days.

What’s wrong with the All Star Game, especially now that the winner determines home field advantage in the World Series? Well, here’s just one of a thousand answers.

Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals was voted by the fans to be the NL starting catcher, despite hitting .229. To put that in perspective, the offensively challenged San Francisco Giants dumped his brother in a trade to the Rangers, and he was hitting about 20 points higher.

234 years ago today….

July 4, 2010

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Wonder how many people you could get today to sign a petition with these commie-pinko sentiments?

234 years ago, the U.S. declared independence from Britain. Now I wonder how long it will take for us to declare independence from China.

How embarrassed are the Argentinian players after being routed 4-0 by Germany? Some of them are actually thinking of hiding out by going to hike the Appalachian trail.

So as we head to the World Cup semi-finals, the hopes of the Southern Hemisphere rest on a country with a smaller population than Connecticut.

But let me get this straight. Most of the world considers soccer the only true “football,” and Uruguay makes it into the World Cup semifinals because one of their players uses his hand?

Apparently when Chelsea Clinton gets married later this summer, President Obama will attend, but former V.P. Al Gore will not. Guess Bill and Hillary didnt want someone showing up who would set a bad example for marriage.

Lebron James finished his last round of interviews with the teams who believe they can sign him and still win with a team that is under the salary cap. And the New York Yankees are thinking “How quaint.”


A Russian airline, Avianova, is airing a controversial commercial showing bikini-clad flight attendants washing one of their planes. The ad has been condemned as sexist and unrealistic. Who would believe that most airlines actually wash their planes.

Britney Spears has a new clothing line at Kohl’s, which she describes as “edgy but girly.” Wonder what her target market is – moms who don’t want to pay a lot of money but still want to be able to dress their daughters like skanks?

The Southern Californian city where In-and-Out Burger got their start, Baldwin Park, is now banning all new drive-thru restaurant. That’s about as incongruous as the county that is home to Silicon Valley being one of the slowest in the state to count votes in elections…. oops, never mind.

(If this last is too “inside baseball” suffice it to say that Santa Clara County in California is lucky if they get a final count a week after the election.)

Independence Day.

July 3, 2010

According to a recent poll, 1 in 4 Americans do not know who the U.S. declared independence from. Curiously enough, that’s about the same number of people who think Sarah Palin is qualified to be president.


For that matter, wonder how many folks in the U.S. think it’s a holiday that honors summer movies. Actually, I’d love is a poll that asked Americans what we celebrate on the Fourth of July? Why do I have a feeling we’d get some interesting answers.


At this point you have to figure for many Americans it’s just Cinco de Mayo without the tequila.


In Chicago, the REAL Independence Day is often when Cubs fans officially stop agonizing about the current season and plan for next year.


Damon Evans, the athletic director at the University of Georgia, was arrested and charged with DUI, while in a car with a young woman who was not his wife. And he apparently repeatedly urged the police officer to let him off or just give him a warning because of his position. The police report stated he said “I am not trying to bribe you but I am the athletic director of the University of Georgia.”

On Thursday Evans stated in a news conference: “My behavior and my actions are not indicative of what we teach our student athletes.” Actually, given the number of arrests for NCAA, NFL and NBA players alone, it seems this may be exactly what they teach their student athletes.

The New York Knicks are trying to encourage LeBron James to sign with them and “make a billion dollars.” Not to mention the money he can make during the playoffs for the rest of his NBA career as an television analyst.


Kentucky Coach John Calipari is under investigation by the NCAA AGAIN. You now have to wonder, why don’t the Los Angeles Clippers hire him? At least Calipari has success with paid players.


Speaking of money, the NCAA has announced their March Madness tournament will expand next year from 65 to 68 teams. What a relief for those teams who have been seeded 66, 67 and 68, and who just KNOW they could have played their way into the Final Four.

Paris Hilton appeared in court in South African Friday after being arrested earlier in the day and charged with marijuana possession. You know, when you’re that wealthy, aren’t you supposed to be able to hire staff to carry your pot?

A small silver lining in the SF Giants’ seven game losing streak. At least fans haven’t had to be stressed out by Brian Wilson’s tightrope-walking saves.


Who’d have thought a year ago that the PGA and networks televising tournaments would be thrilled just to have Tiger make the cut?


And on the subject of Tiger, from the very funny Jim Barach: “Tiger Woods is ranked #5 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. He was at #5 last year, too. Only then he was on the list as a golfer.”

Why most people will be rooting for Paraguay and against Argentina:

July 2, 2010

No, it’s not just about the World Cup underdog thing. But two pictures here are worth at least two thousand words:

If Paraguay wins the World Cup, 24 year-old Larissa Riquelme, a lingerie model and soccer fan, has promised to run naked through the streets “with my body painted with the colors of Paraguay.”

If Argentina wins, the 49 year old Diego Maradona says HE will strip naked and run through the streets of Buenos Aires.

Heading towards the July 5th weekend…

July 2, 2010

President Obama ordered flags at federal offices to be flown at half staff for Robert Byrd. And to make the honor more fitting for the longest-serving U.S. Senator, Obama has also asked that the ones be used with 13 stars on them.

Senator Byrd’s body is lying in repose in the Capitol Rotunda, after a public procession through the streets of Washington, D.C. The elegant horse-drawn carriage did of course travel the entire way with its left blinker on.

There’s about as much chance of hearing anything new and interesting at the Elena Kagan hearings as there is of watching a high scoring World Cup match this weekend.


When former President George W. Bush was asked if he thought Elena Kagan was qualified to sit on the Supreme Court, he allegedly responded. “Well, I’m not sure about the Court, but I’m impressed that as a lady she built such a successful chain of auto parts stores.”


Is it just me, or is it somehow easier to imagine Sarah Palin as President than to imagine Al Gore as a “crazed sex poodle?”


And somewhere Bill Clinton is thinking “Crazed sex poodle, Hey, that’s MY job.”


And why airlines get a bad reputation. American Airlines is touting the fact that they are upgrading their 737s, with a spokesman saying they are “reinvesting in their product and services to enhance the travel experience for our loyal customers.”

It’s true, they are putting in new seats, data ports, larger overhead bins, and new entertainment systems. And oh yeah, 12 more seats in every plane, an average of an inch of legroom less per passenger.

The Red Sox just placed Jason Varitek on the disabled list, joining Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia, Josh Beckett, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Lowell, Jeremy Hermida and Jed Lowrie. New Boston motto? “Survivor – Fenway.”


According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Mike Garrett, USC athletic director, made more than $1-million in 2008-9 while his Trojans were under investigation by the NCAA. But give the guy a break, the school probably has players who made more than that.


For Canadian readers, Happy Belated Canada Day. Why Canadian men like Canada Day better than U.S. men like the 4th of July? It’s not all about the family picnics and BBQs – in Canada today is the opening of Football season.

From reader Gary Morton regarding that $750 million Tiger is reputedly paying Elin. “$750-million? Tiger just became Sweden’s top gross national product.”

And from Bill Littlejohn, especially maybe for San Francisco Giants fans who remember days when their team had an offense – “Luke Scott of the Orioles is on the DH after he pulled a hamstring during a home run trot.They’re referring to his trot as ‘Dumb Flap Down'”

What a wildlife fund….

July 1, 2010

According to a London tabloid, Tiger Woods has reportedly agreed to pay at least $750 million to his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, as a divorce settlement. “Dude, that’s a LOT of diamond rings,” responded Kobe Bryant.


$750 million? Is that a world record sum for tiger protection?


No World Cup games Wednesday or Thursday. Which means since the U.S. was eliminated, ESPN soccer viewership is about the same as it’s been all week.

From a television viewpoint, semi-seriously, here’s the problem with upsets at Wimbledon and the World Cup. If it’s March Madness, an upset either makes someone’s brack look good, or salvages at least at tenative tie for those whose favorites are out. In tennis or soccer its simply “Okay, that means one more future match between someone or some team I have never heard of.”

In the San Francisco area, a new policy on the Bay Bridge means that tolls will now be $5 on the weekends, $6 during rush-hour, and $4 during off-peak weekday hours. And this in theory means more revenue without any appreciable extra time.

First there is the whole potential change issue. Which anyone who has ever put in a penny for a bill ending in 26 cents, or given a clerk $11 for a $6 charge to get a $5 bill back, will understand. And then there is the potential last minute scramble for an extra dollar, and of course the potential arguments from idiots who think their watch is more accurate than the Bridge’s clock. Sure, nothing can go wrong, wrong, wrong….

The Giants traded slumping catcher Bengie Molina to the Texas Rangers Wednesday night. Which means that in July there should be no discernable difference in the RBI total Molina had for San Francisco in May and June.


After their quick exit at the World Cup, the Nigerian president has suspended the national soccer team from international competition for two years. Now that he’s dealt with the country’s serious problems, you think maybe the president could do something about those poor princes?


The Nigerian president suspended their national soccer team for two years for their dismal performance. Meanwhile, at the University of Michigan, football coach Rich Rodriguez is hoping the university president doesn’t hear about this.

(for any readers, please feel free to substitute USC and Lane Kiffin, or the NFL and the Detroit Lions, etc.)

Ohio Representative John Boehner compared the banking reform bill to “killing an ant with a nuclear weapon.” Clearly the man has not been at a ruined holiday picnic, where many people would nuke ants in a minute given the opportunity.


Actually, Boehner’s comment that Congress’s financial reform package was like “killing an ant with a nuclear weapon,” was not his first choice. He thought of saying “like killing an ant with an AK-47.” But then realized that his supporters in the NRA have no problem with that.

George Lucas’ company “Lucasfilm” lost a wrongful termination suit Wednesday for withdrawing a job offer from a San Francisco woman after she disclosed that she was expecting a baby. To be fair, the geek-driven company with a history of producing high-tech, science-fiction blockbusters, may have had a little bit of a problem with the concept of how anyone gets pregnant.